In-form Schick delivers victory for Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen moved up to third in the Bundesliga but needed a second-half winner from Patrik Schick to secure a 2-1 victory over Union Berlin.
Schick, who scored a hat-trick in a 5-2 win over Heidenheim last week and then netted in the 5-0 UEFA Champions League win over RB Salzburg, pushed the ball over the line with his chest in the 71st minute to secure Leverkusen's second win in its past five league matches.
Xabi Alonso's team went in front after two minutes with Jeremie Frimpong breaking clear and slotting in from a perfectly timed pass by Alejandro Grimaldo.
But there was little else in terms of attacking threat from the visitors and Union, with the league's second-best defence behind Bayern, stood its ground and gradually grew bolder.
The hosts levelled with their first chance through Jeong Woo-yeong in the 29th minute after a fine run by Benedict Hollerbach.
Leverkusen brought on Florian Wirtz just before the hour mark and the move paid off with the Germany international whipping a cross into the box for Schick to snatch the winner.
Leverkusen is on 23 points in third. The defeat leaves Union in 11th place on 16 points.
Schick, who has now scored in his past three Bundesliga games, scored for the 48th time in his 100th Bundesliga appearance for Leverkusen, equalling Ulf Kirsten's club record.
Leverkusen has now scored in each of its past three games in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals in that run.
In total, it has scored in 11 of its 12 games, no team has done so more often in the Bundesliga this season.
It managed to accumulate only 0.9 xG, but that was more than Union's 0.6 in a game that was devoid of too many clear openings.
